


Love Bites

by Betsy_Lake



Category: The Order (TV 2019)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-01
Updated: 2020-09-01
Packaged: 2021-03-06 02:02:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 15,922
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25655602
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Betsy_Lake/pseuds/Betsy_Lake
Summary: Belatrice Gray was a TA at Belgrave University, working hard to stay on top of her marking and trying not to flunk her own studies, when a night out with her bff Randall and his roommates, changed everything.Hamish Duke x OC fiction with fluff, romance and angst. OC description purposefully left out to allow for reader personalisation.
Relationships: Hamish Duke/Original Female Character(s), Hamish Duke/Reader
Comments: 7
Kudos: 38





	1. Chapter 1

“I call this one a Wolf Bite.” Hamish set the tall glasses down in front of Randall and Bela, smiling as they both took a sip, and then another immediately. 

“Haim, this is amazing.” Bela said as Randall nodded in agreement. Her lips quirked up in delight, causing a rush of warmth to radiate throughout Hamish’s chest. 

He seated himself across from her, trying to ignore the sudden fluttering in his stomach. 

Belatrice Gray - Bela, to her friends - had transferred to Belgrave’s Linguistics department from a college on the West Coast at the start of the year. After Randall was assigned as her tour guide during orientation they’d become fast friends and now the RA spent almost as much time with her as he did with Hamish, Lilith and Jack. 

Though Hamish was usually reluctant to let the others bring friends back to the Den, when Randall finally introduced them to Bela he’d instantly made an exception for her. Not only was she sweet, funny and smarter than anyone else he’d met at Belgrave, she was also fair with the students under her guidance as a TA, and a loyal and caring friend to Randall - qualities that Hamish admired greatly. 

As Bela became a semi-regular fixture at their nights out, nights in and revision sessions, Hamish had found himself making an effort to be around whenever Bela was present. 

They’d spent many afternoons this semester studying in the Den’s comfy living room and as finals drew closer, Randall regularly recruited Bela for last minute cramming sessions. This afternoon it was Advanced Anatomy, with a side of Diagnostic Reasoning. 

The dark haired man sighed and flopped down next to Bela on the shabby-but-comfortable sofa. She shifted as he jostled the cushions, almost knocking her book out of her hands. 

From his armchair Hamish could see Bela reach over and run her hand up and down Randall’s arm in a soothing gesture. “You’ll get there.” She said, still focused on her work. “You know this stuff already, you’re just tired.” 

Randall scoffed. “That’s easy for you to say. I can’t believe you dropped out of Pre Med - your grasp of the human body is truly astounding.” 

“Yeah, my mother can’t either,” Bela joked. 

“Another thing you and the Ham-ster have in common.” 

Hamish winced at the nickname, but let it go. Randall was tired, after all. 

Bela frowned, “A good grasp of the human body?” 

Randall, who had taken this moment to have a sip of his drink, choked on his mouthful. 

Hamish reached over to pat his friend on the back. “Disappointing our parents.” he bowed his head slightly, “I was Pre Law.”

“Really? “ Bela said, raising an eyebrow. “When I imagine you in a courtroom, I put you in handcuffs.”

“Is that something you imagine regularly?” Hamish flashed her a smile. She laughed. 

“Jesus,” Randall muttered under his breath, just loud enough for Hamish’s enhanced hearing to pick up. “If I don’t choke to death on my drink, the sexual tension in this room is going to smother me.” 

He leapt up from his chair, narrowly avoiding the pillow that sailed past his head. “Anyone want a snack? I need popcorn.” 

As he headed to the kitchen Hamish turned his attention to Bela. She was chewing on the end of a pen, lost in the pages of her textbook. His breath hitched as the afternoon light filtering in through the windows caught the edges of her hair, lighting a halo around her. 

“Bels?” 

“Mmhm?” 

“Randall mentioned you’re swamped with work at the moment?” 

“Oh?” Bela made a face. “Yeah, Professor Liebernacht dumped all of his marking on me again - big surprise. I have to grade ninety Syntactic Theory papers by the end of the week.”   
“How about we mark papers together tonight?” Hamish tried to keep his voice light and even to disguise the hammering in his chest. “I have practise tests to get through, it’s going to take hours. Maybe we could get a take-out, keep each other company?” 

“Oh.” She looked up from her book. “Yeah, that would be great actually. As long as you make me one of your signature cocktails too?” 

A smile lit up his face. “I can make you as many cocktails as you like, I think we probably both need a drink this far into finals season.” 

“Great idea Ham-and-cheese!” Randall said, returning with a large bowl clutched to his chest. “Hey Lil,” He yelled up the stairs, “Big night out tonight with Hamish and Bela, let’s blow off some steam.” 

“What? No, that’s not what I-” Hamish began in protest. 

“I’m in.” Lilith appeared in the hallway. “But I get to choose the bar this time, the last one Bela chose was lame.” 

“Hey,” Bela objected. 

“Cool, I’ll tell Jack and Alyssa.” Randall sat down, setting the popcorn on the coffee table in front of him, and pulled out his phone. “Meet here at 8pm?” 

Bela looked from Randall to Hamish, who was glaring daggers at his friend. She shrugged. 

“Great!” Randall’s phone buzzed. “They’re in. Thanks, Haim. We could all do with a break tonight - your papers can wait until tomorrow, can’t they?” 

Hamish bit back his disappointment. “I guess they’ll have to.”

\- - - - - 

“Dude, you have to stop.” 

Randall placed a hand firmly over Hamish’s, stilling the older man’s fingers. He’d been drumming his nails on their table for the past ten minutes and even with the music in the club drowning out the sound, it was extremely irritating. 

“What’s up with you tonight?” 

“Nothing.” Hamish lied, freeing his hand from Randall’s grasp. 

Randall’s suspicion grew as he followed Hamish’s gaze to the bar where Jack, Bela and Alyssa were ordering a round of shots. 

“Fine.” Hamish groaned, when he noticed Randall surveying Bela. “It’s just weird. I asked Bela on a date and now we’re all hanging out together.” 

Randall’s eyes almost popped out of his head. “What?! You finally asked her out? When the hell did that happen?” 

“This afternoon. I asked her to hang out tonight.” 

“But did you really?” Lillith smirked over the top of her glass. “I’m not sure she realised you were actually asking her out.” 

“When did this happen?” Randall frowned “And how come you know about it when I don’t Lil?”

“Duh. I’m a werewolf.” She shrugged. “I can hear everything in that house.” 

“You were there, Randall.” said Hamish, glancing over at Bela who, thankfully was still out of earshot. 

“Oh.” Randall’s eyes widened. “That was a date? Hamish, I totally blocked you!” 

“He blocked himself.” Lillith shook her head. “In what world is asking someone to mark papers with you a date?”

“I know.” Hamish rubbed his neck. “I thought it might be a good jumping off point? Actually spending some time alone together.”

A smile worked its way across Randall’s face. “Well if it’s alone time you want, you only had to ask!” 

“Randall, don’t” Hamish hissed. 

“Don’t what?” Jack asked, placing a tray of shots down in front of his friends. Bela slipped into the booth next to Hamish, brushing his thigh with hers as she slid across to make space for Alyssa and Jack. 

Randall grabbed a shot and threw it back. “Jack, Alyssa - Lillith was just telling me how much she wanted to dance.” He said, barely pausing to take breath. 

“No I - Ow.” Lillith bared her teeth at Randall. She jerked her leg out of his reach, massaging the sore spot on her left shin. “Yeah,” she agreed, “I totally want to dance. On the dance floor. With people. Hamish you stay here and look after our shit.” 

She grabbed Jack’s arm and yanked him from the booth before he could pick up his drink. Randall followed her, gesturing for Alyssa to join them. 

Bela and Hamish sat in stilted silence for a moment before Hamish cleared his throat. “You can go and dance if you want to, I don’t mind looking after everything.” 

“Actually, I’m good here.” Bela said.

Hamish’s cheeks glowed as he returned her easy smile. 

Bela was enjoying spending time with Randall and his friends but she couldn’t deny that she’d rather be grading papers with Hamish tonight. At first Randall has requested that they hang out at the Den as it was quieter than the dorms and closer to the campus than her apartment, but recently it had been at Bela’s insistence that they’d studied there. Bela hadn’t been sure if Randall realised it was because she wanted an excuse to spend time with Hamish, but his not so subtle attempt at leaving them alone to go ‘dancing’, had pretty much just confirmed that he knew about her crush. 

Bela cringed. Hopefully Hamish didn’t realise that their friend was playing matchmaker, that would just be too embarrassing. 

“Bels?” Hamish was staring at her in confusion. Bela realised he’d been talking to her this whole time. 

“Sorry,” she stuttered, “what were you saying?” 

As he leaned forward in his chair the club’s strobe lights cast his face in shadow, picking out the contours of his high cheekbones and strong jaw. Bela’s gaze followed the line up from his neck, to his full lips and then up to his eyes, which were trained on her. 

“I was asking if you wanted to hang out tomorrow instead. I know I said grading papers but we could do something else if you want? There’s a new sci-fi film on at the student lounge or we could go out to eat.” He tipped his head towards the dance floor. “Lillith informed me that grading papers isn’t really a date activity.” 

Bela felt a well of happiness bubble up. So Hamish was actually asking her out? She hadn’t been sure before.

“She’s wrong,” Bela shook her head. “Anything can be a date if you’re with the right person.” As a smile flooded Hamish’s face her lips turned up to mirror his. 

“You know you haven’t said yes, yet.”

Bela paused, as if considering his proposal. “Actually, I’m hungry now. Do you want to get some-”

“Yes,” Hamish interrupted before she finished. He beamed at her. “Let’s go, I’ll tell the others we’re leaving.”

“Great,” said Bela, “I’m just going to grab my coat. I’ll meet you outside.” 

As they made their way across the club neither of them noticed the figure watching them from the other side of the room. 

\- - - - -

If you ignored the distant bass leaking from the building’s windows it could almost be considered peaceful out here, Bela thought. She inhaled the fresh, cool air, enjoying how it chased away the faint buzz in her temples, and leaned against a wall, scrolling through her phone as she waited for Hamish. 

“Hey,” a voice broke through the night. “You’re Bela, right?” 

Bela turned to find a young man next to her. He was wearing a Belgrave t-shirt under a fitted plaid shirt, and his dirty blonde hair was cropped in a trendy cut. Despite looking like every other rich, entitled frat boy on Bela’s course, as he grinned up at her his face was pleasant. 

“Uh, yeah,” Bela frowned in confusion. He looked vaguely familiar. “Do I know you?” 

“Tanner Jeffries - I’m new to the Linguistics department.” He held out a hand, shaking hers firmly when she placed her palm in his. 

He chuckled lightly, making his cheeks dimple. “I know what you’re thinking - why oh, why would anyone join Linguistics? Well, I’m a glutton for punishment. I just couldn’t resist meeting the notorious Professor Liebernacht.” 

“He’s the worst,” Bela confirmed, with a small laugh “I’ll be surprised if we have any students left after this year.”

“Yeah, you should see his reviews on Rate My Prof.”

“I know,” Bela couldn’t help but return his smile. “Half of those are from his TAs.” 

Tanner chuckled again. He reached up to rub the side of his neck and shot her an apologetic look. “Hey, I know this is a bit weird but my car’s not starting. I was going to ask for a flashlight in the club so I can check out the engine but… could I borrow the light on your phone. It’ll just take a minute.” 

“Uh-” Bela hesitated. She threw a brief glance over her shoulder at the club’s entrance. “Yep, sure. No problem.” 

The parking lot beside the club was eerily vacant, considering how many people were packed into the heaving room. As they walked towards the only car there, a blue four wheel drive in the corner of the lot, Tanner dropped behind her, digging around his pockets for his keys.

Bela turned to the car, “Ok, where’s the latch-” 

As Tanner’s hand clamped over her face she let out a startled shriek. 

Bela’s thoughts filled with panic. She acted on instinct, struggling against his hold as Tanner’s other arm twisted around her waist, almost lifting her off the floor. Her fingers scrambled to find purchase, finally catching around his shirt, which she pulled sharply, trying to throw him off balance. 

He grunted with effort, blocking her mouth to stifle her screams. “You don’t need to make this - urgh - any harder. Dormitum Dimittatur.” 

Bela slumped in his arms. 

\- - - - - 

As Hamish predicted, Randall was incredibly happy that he was taking Bela out to eat. He’d thrown his arms around Hamish’s neck and tipsily mumbled about how his best friends were falling in love for almost ten minutes, until Lillith had taken pity on the older man and peeled Randall off him, promising they’d all meet back at the Den in a few hours. 

Hamish hurried out of the club, keen to find Bela and start their date, but she was nowhere to be found. 

He frowned. It wasn’t like Bela to just up and leave without telling them. Even if she’d changed her mind about going out with him she would have just said - wouldn’t she? 

After pacing in front of the club for a few moments he managed to pick up the faint scent of her perfume on the cold night breeze - sometimes being a werewolf was really useful. He followed the trail around the side of the building, frowning again when he reached the parking lot. 

This doesn’t make sense, he thought, an uneasy feeling settling in his stomach. They’d walked to the club and none of them were in a state to drive anywhere tonight. Maybe the alcohol was throwing off his game. He pulled out his phone and dialed Bela’s number, silently thanking Tundra as his enhanced hearing picked up the sound of vibration. 

As Hamish followed it to the edge of the lot, his breathing quickened and the unease grew into dread. 

“Oh no,” he whispered, kneeling beside the glowing object. 

It was Bela’s phone, lying face up in the gravel.


	2. Chapter 2

“Haim?” Lillth reached out, placing a hand on Hamish’s shoulder. He was crouched next to Bela’s phone, in the same position he’d been in when he called Lillith to ask her to meet him outside. 

He looked up at his friends. They were gathered around him, concern etched across their faces. 

“You heard it, didn’t you?” Hamish’s voice was quiet as he looked back down at the phone in front of him. 

Randall nodded. “The ringing, when we were in the club?”

“I should have known - should have come to check on her. She was out here, alone. I didn’t...”

Lilith shot Randall an uneasy look. Hamish was the Knight’s fearless leader, he was always decisive and assertive, the first to lead them into battle or come up with a game plan. She’d never seen him like this before. He looked so lost. 

“Hamish, buddy?” Jack said slowly, “You blaming yourself isn’t going to help anyone.” 

Hamish stared at the phone a moment longer and then moved his gaze to the object sitting a few inches away from it. As much as it pained him to admit it, Jack was right. 

He picked up the small shiny item and then pocketed Bela’s phone and straightened up. 

“Can you track this?” He held the grey plastic button out to Alyssa. 

She took it from him. “Yes - I just need a few things for the spell.” 

“Ok,” Hamish nodded. “Jack, get Alyssa to the Den, we’ve got supplies there. Lilith, Randall, we’re splitting up. We can cover more ground as wolves. The first one to find anything calls the others.”

They all nodded, falling back into the familiar routine of search and rescue. 

As Jack and Alyssa took off in the direction of the Den, Randall placed his hand on Hamish’s arm. 

“Don’t worry,” he said, past the lump in his throat. “We’ll find her.” 

Hamish squeezed Randall’s hand and offered him a weak smile. “Of course we will,” he said, ignoring the gnawing pit in his stomach. 

\- - - - -

“You’re sure this is the place?” 

After 40 minutes of attempting to track Bela’s scent and coming up empty, Jack had called Hamish with a location. Now the two of them were standing under a shroud of trees with Alyssa, watching the entrance to a derelict building on the edge of Belgrave’s campus. 

Alyssa showed him the bowl in her hand. A small stick balanced in water with the button tied to it was pressed against the edge, as if pulled by an invisible hand in the direction of the front door. 

Jack sighed. “Why does this campus have so many creepy buildings? It’s like they’re asking for students to get kidnapped by evil magic practitioners from secret cults.” 

“We don’t know that this person is part of The Order.” Alyssa said, her voice low. “Maybe it’s a magic tourist.” 

Hamish ignored their comments as he scanned the area around them. 

“Right,” he said, focusing his gaze on the entrance. “You guys go round the back, I'll take the front. When we find Bela I'll create a distraction while you get her out.” 

“We don’t know how many are in there,” Jack shook his head “Shouldn’t we hold on until the others get here?”

“Randall and Lillith are on their way but we can’t wait, we don’t know what they’re doing to Bela.” 

Jack opened his mouth as if to disagree and then thought better of it when Hamish glared at him. He took Alyssa’s hand and they headed towards the side of the building, leaving Hamish alone. 

Hamish took a deep breath and walked straight through the front door. 

\- - - - -

His footsteps were silent as he moved slowly down the hallway, muffled by the thick layer of dust covering the floor. In the weak light filtering in through the grime-smeared windows from streetlights outside, Hamish could make out further passageways and doors branching off into the darkness. 

Before it had been abandoned, the location must have been used as a storage facility for the University at some point. Mouldy cardboard boxes and forgotten paper files lined the rooms Hamish passed, but he didn’t stop to explore them as he pushed deeper into the heart of the building, drawn towards a faint orange glow.

As he crept closer to the end of the hallway a cavernous room emerged up ahead. The space had been cleared, office desks and chairs pushed against one wall. In the center of the room, starkly lit by the uncovered bulb hanging above, was a metal operating table.

Hamish felt his pulse stutter as he saw Bela’s form strapped to the table. She wasn’t moving. 

Terror flooded his mind. He took a deep breath, struggling for control as Tundra’s growls filled his head. Suddenly, a door on the far side of the room opened and someone walked in. 

Hamish recognised him immediately. 

Tanner leaned over the table, examining Bela, and then gave the restraints a sharp tug. 

“I was wondering when you’d show up.” He said, without turning. “Don’t worry, I took care of your friends. They won’t be bothering us.” 

Hamish stepped out of the shadows and into the room, keeping his eyes on Bela. 

“What did you do to them?” He asked. Even to his own ears, his voice sounded strained. 

“They’re ok, for now.” Tanner walked around the table to face Hamish, placing Bela between the two of them. He lifted his right hand and steel glinted in the light. “Just in case you get any ideas.” 

Hamish hesitated when he saw the knife hovering above Bela. “So, The Order is sending Acolytes to murder students now?” 

Tanner’s smile set his teeth on edge. “Oh,” he said, “is this the part where I tell you my motivation?” 

When Hamish didn’t answer he clicked his tongue impatiently. “Fine. This one is just bait. I admit it’s a bit of a waste to kill her, but worth it to get the real prize.” 

Hamish watched as Tanner lowered his arm slightly, the knife hovering just inches away from Bela’s abdomen. 

“The Knights?” 

“Yes. The Knights.” Tanner’s face twisted with disgust. “The great champions. Monsters hiding in our ranks, poisoning The Order from the inside.” 

“We’re part of The Order.” Hamish growled. 

“A mistake,” Tanner’s eyes darkened. “One I’m going to fix. I’ll be a hero.” 

Hamish’s heart stopped as Tanner plunged the knife downwards. He barely had time to inhale the scent of blood before the change ripped through him, his panicked thoughts giving way to Tundra as the wolf took control. 

Tanner watched the man before him transforming. He ran the blade across his palm a second time, sending another rush of blood spattering across the metal table below. 

“Mutatis,” he bellowed. In an instant his body stiffened. He doubled over, his spine snapping forward at an unnatural angle as it lengthened and warped. His skin split, thick, dark hair erupting all over and his hands spasmed as his fingernails lengthened into claws.

Tundra turned to face Tanner and found himself staring into the jaws of a hulking black wolf. 

\- - - - - 

Bela was snapped back to consciousness by a sickening pain in her legs. She blinked, groggily, as a large dark shape was yanked off her and sent hurtling into a nearby wall. The deafening crunch of plaster and glass sent bells pealing through her temple - she felt like her skull was about to split open. 

As her vision cleared and the room swung into focus she realised with a start that she didn’t recognise the bare, water-stained ceiling above her. What the hell was going on?

The last thing she remembered was being at the club with her friends, she was supposed to meet Hamish outside but that guy… Tanner, was it? He asked her to help with his car. 

Maybe there had been some sort of accident. Was she in hospital? She tried to sit up and groaned as her movement was met with another sharp ripple of pain through her thighs. She went to run her hands over them and realised that she couldn’t move her arms. She was stuck. 

Before she could gather the energy to yell out her vision was taken up by Hamish’s concerned face. 

“Bela? Thank God.” He looked on the verge of tears. 

“Urgh,” Bela croaked, finally finding her voice. “Am I dead?” 

“No, you’re very much alive.” The corner of his lips quirked up. 

“Haim, I can’t move. My legs-” 

“Oh. Wait a second.” He disappeared from view. 

Bela heard ripping sounds, like fabric tearing, and the pressure around her forearms and legs released. She sighed in relief and lifted her hands to feel for damage. As far as she could tell, she was still in one piece, which was a small mercy. 

“Careful,” Hamish reappeared at her side as she sat up and gingerly pulled her legs over the edge of the table.

“What the..?” Bela’s eyes widened as she took in her surroundings.

“Hamish, where are we? What was that big black thing?” As she turned towards him her voice rose a few octaves. “Where are your clothes? Is that… is that blood? Are you ok?”

Hamish looked down at his blood spattered chest and then back up at Bela, a frown wrinkling his brow. 

“I’m not hurt. I can explain everything, I promise.” 

“Start talking.” Bela pushed herself up onto her feet and then fell backwards against the table. She gasped as white hot agony shot through her legs, turning them to jelly.

Hamish grabbed her waist and lifted her gently onto the table again. As Bela squirmed out of his grasp she caught the look of hurt that crossed his face. He stepped back and raised his arms, palms outstretched towards her. 

“You’re safe.” Hamish bowed his head. “I’m going to explain, we just need to get out of here first, please-”

He broke off as a loud bang echoed off the walls, spinning towards the door on the far side of the room as Jack and Alyssa strode through it. 

Bela saw his shoulders relax as he recognised his friends. 

He met them half way, gratefully accepting the jacket Jack handed to him. “Are you guys ok?” 

Alyssa nodded, “Yeah, it was just a holding spell.”

Bela frowned. Spell? 

“Hey, are you ok Bela?” Alyssa started towards her but stopped when Hamish blocked her path. She gave him a funny look.

“Jesus Haim, chill.” Jack pulled Alyssa back towards him. “Where’s Tanner?”

Hamish pointed to a large opening by the door behind them. “I put him through that wall.” 

Jack disappeared into the hallways and then emerged a moment later, shaking his head. “He’s gone.” 

Hamish growled under his breath. “I should have ripped his fucking head off.” 

“Get in line.” Jack huffed. “I can’t believe that idiot was behind this. He barely even made it in to The Order in the first place.” 

Alyssa glanced between the two of them. “You put him through a wall Hamish, how did he walk away from that?” 

“He used a transformation incantation.” Hamish’s voice was low but anger punctuated every syllable. 

“What?” Alyssa’s head snapped up. “That’s way above his skill level. What did he turn into?” 

“A wolf.” 

“A werewolf?” Jack’s brow furrowed. “I thought that was impossible?” 

“Not quite a werewolf -” Hamish ran his fingers through his hair, shaking out some of the dried blood,“- but big enough to give Tundra a run for his money.” 

“Do I have a concussion, or did you just say werewolf?” The three of them turned towards Bela and stared, as if they had just remembered she was in the room. 

“Both, probably.” Jack shrugged. “I mean, I’m not a Doctor.” 

Hamish glared at him. 

Bela pushed herself up from the table. “Don’t.” She said, holding up a hand when Hamish made a disapproving noise and moved towards her. She bit down on her lip as her legs throbbed in protest. 

She was exhausted, and furious. She’d woken up scared and in pain, strapped to a table in a creepy room with a very naked, blood-covered Hamish. Now they were talking about spells and incantations and werewolves. Enough was enough. 

“Explain. Now.” 

The three of them looked at her, mouths open. 

“Ok.” She rounded on Hamish. “Start talking, Haim. What the hell happened to me? Was that thing Tanner? What did he do to me? What did you do to him? Why are you talking about spells? Where are-”

Hamish caught her as a cloud of white powder enveloped her head. 

“Was that really necessary.” He hissed at Alyssa as he scooped Bela’s unconscious form up into his arms. 

“You can’t have a secret society if it’s not a secret, Hamish” 

“Fine,” He nodded. “Whatever. Let’s get her back to the Den.” 

“What about Tanner?” Jack frowned. 

“I’ll take care of him later.” Hamish said, his words more of a threat than a promise.


	3. Chapter 3

“I always knew Tanner was a Grade A, D-bag.” Lilith prowled the Den’s living room, weaving between the armchair Randall was sitting in and the doorway where Jack and Alyssa were hovering. 

They’d filled in the rest of the group while Hamish had washed away the blood and changed out of Jack’s jacket. Now he was sitting watching them from his perch next to Bela on the sofa. She had yet to wake up but thanks to the Pulveris Memoria Alyssa had used on her, when she did, she wouldn’t have any recollection of the past few hours. 

“No kidding,” Randall piped up. “Stupid too - as if he would have been a match for four werewolves, even with that spell. What was he thinking?” 

“He’s not exactly The Order’s best or brightest.” Alyssa sighed. She leaned against Jack, slipping her arm around his waist. 

Lilith snarled. “I just wish I’d been there. I could’ve punched the stupid idiot in his stupid face.” 

“Don’t worry Lil,” Randall grimaced. “We’ll do more than that to him.” 

“No.” Hamish pulled his attention away from Bela. His voice was quiet but it echoed through the room. “I’m going to deal with him.” 

When Lillith huffed in protest he glared at her. “Did I not make myself clear? Tanner is mine.” 

An awkward silence fell across the Den as Lillith, Randall, Jack and Alyssa looked at each other. Hamish ignored them, choosing instead to refocus his attention on Bela, watching her carefully for signs of consciousness. 

After a beat, Randall leaned forward in his chair. “Look Haim,” he said, “I know you’re upset but you don’t have to do this on your own.” 

“Upset?” Hamish kept his voice low, conscious of the woman sleeping a few feet away from them. “He kidnapped Bela to get to me. He hurt her, because I left her alone. It was my fault. It’s my responsibility.” Though his voice was calm, he could feel Tundra’s presence under his skin, pressing him to hunt down Tanner, to destroy the person who’d threatened Bela. He took a steadying breath. 

“Ok.” Randall raised his palms in defeat. “You’re the boss.”

Hamish glanced up, towards the doorway. “Do we have enough supplies for another tracking spell?” 

Alyssa nodded. “Just about. What are you going to do?”

Hamish’s eyes were cold as he looked around the group. “I’m going to kill him.”

“Finally,” Lilith smiled. “A plan I can get on board with.” 

“Good, because-” Hamish broke off as a soft groan came from the other end of the sofa. 

“Bels?” He scanned her face as she shifted slightly, starting to wake. 

At the first sign of movement Randall went to get up from his chair, but he froze when a rumbling noise issued from Hamish’s chest. He sat back down, quickly, looking into the older man’s silver eyes with surprise. “Uh… Haim?”

Randall’s voice broke through Hamish’s stupor. He was a little shocked and embarrassed - had he really just growled at his friend? He mentally shook himself before shooting the dark haired man an apologetic look. “Sorry. It’s been a long night.” 

“Uh,” Lillith glanced between Hamish and Randall and then to Bela. “I’m going to give you some space.” She said, heading upstairs. 

Jack pulled Alyssa towards the basement door. “Yeah,” He mumbled as they disappeared from view. “We’ll go work on that thing for you Hamish.” 

“Subtle, Haim.” Randall bit back a smirk.

Bela groaned under her breath, drawing their attention back to the sofa. 

“Am I contagious or something?” Her voice cracked as she blinked, clearing her vision. 

She looked around the room in surprise. The last thing she remembered was being outside the club - how did she get to the Den? As she took in Hamish and Randall’s concerned faces her confusion warped into worry. 

“Uh… what’s going on guys?”

The two men exchanged a look. 

“What do you remember?” Hamish asked, eyes trained on her face. 

“We were going to get dinner. I was waiting for you outside and then this guy from my department came over.” 

Hamish nodded. 

“Uh, Tanner. He asked to borrow my phone and ….” Bela paused for a moment. Her thoughts were swimming around her head, impossible to pin down or make sense of. Her eyes widened as a memory slotted into place. “He put his hand over my mouth.” Bela felt panic fill her. As the fog cleared she was suddenly aware of her aching limbs and the pounding pressure behind her temples. 

“What happened?” 

Hamish placed his hand on her arm. “Tanner… We think he gave you a sedative. He knocked you out and tried to get you into his car.” 

Randall glanced at the older man. “But Hamish came out and saw him. He stopped Tanner and brought you back here.” 

“What?” Bela was confused. “I don’t even know him, why would he do that?”

The two men exchanged another glance. They’d already discussed what version of events might explain Bela’s injuries without inviting further questions. 

“Maybe a frat prank?” Randall suggested “Or maybe he’s done this to other women before.” The implication of Tanner’s actions hung in the air.

Bela felt her stomach drop. Her head pounded as she struggled to wrap her mind around what had happened, what might have happened if Hamish hadn’t stepped in. 

She scanned his face, finding his blue eyes with her own. “Thank you.”

Hamish’s cheeks darkened. He placed a hand on her arm, absently running his fingers across her skin. “Uh, Bels.” He hesitated. “There was a fight, when I came outside. Tanner wasn’t exactly careful - you got pretty banged up.”

“That explains my head.” Bela groaned. “And my arms…. And my legs. Just everything really.” 

“Are you in pain?” Hamish frowned. 

Bela nodded, and then regretted it immediately as a shooting sensation rocketed through her skull. She winced. “Everything hurts.”

“I’m going to get you some pain killers, don’t move.” He disappeared through the door to the kitchen, leaving Bela with Randall. 

“You’ll feel better soon,” her friend said, offering her a small smile. “You just need to rest. The drugs should wear off soon.” 

“Yeah,” Bela rolled her eyes. “I know the drill, Dr Carpio.” 

She tried to sit up and then fell back quickly as pain radiated through her legs. 

“Wha-?” She hissed in discomfort.

“Don’t get up.” Randall leapt up from the armchair as Hamish rushed back into the room. 

He glared at Randall as if he was personally responsible for causing Bela pain. 

“Your legs are bruised, second degree contusions. You need to rest.”

Bela stared at Randall. “You examined me?” Her eyebrows inched up. “While I was unconscious?” 

Randall’s mouth dropped open. He crouched on the floor next to the sofa. “I’m sorry Bels, I had to check if we needed to take you to the hospital. We didn’t know what Tanner-” he looked at Hamish, “- how bad your injuries were.” 

Bela reached down to pat his hand. “If you were anyone else, I’d sock you in the jaw.” She smiled as relief flooded his face. “Thank you though, seriously.” 

Randall grinned up at her, and gave her hand a small squeeze. 

Hamish handed her a couple of pills and a glass of water. “Take these, they’ll help with the pain.” 

Bela nodded and swallowed them quickly. When she’d finished he took the glass off her and set it down on the table in front of them. 

“You need to rest.” He said gently. “You can’t be on your own until we’re sure the drug is out of your system. You can stay in my room.” 

“I can’t,” Bela protested. “You need to sleep too, Hamish.” 

“Believe me,” He insisted “I’m not going to get much rest tonight.” 

He bent down and placed an arm around Bela’s shoulders, the other looped carefully under her knees. When he straightened up he brought Bela with him, tucking her into his chest as if she weighed nothing. 

Bela felt her face flush at the sudden sensation of being pressed against Hamish. Though she knew he was carrying her to avoid her walking on injured legs, she couldn’t help but take a little pleasure in his act of chivalry. 

His room was set at the far end of the house, the very last door leading off the hallway. As he pushed the door open Bela noticed how closely it matched what she’d imagined Hamish’s bedroom would be like. Not that she’d thought of it, much. 

The furniture was dark, antique like the living room downstairs. Against one side sat a comfy looking double bed, sandwiched between two bedside tables which were decorated with reading lamps. Bookcases lined the rest of the dark blue walls, filled with everything from Psychology texts to books on German folklore. Overlooking the large, south-facing window sat a wooden desk, piled high with neat stacks of papers. 

Hamish set her down on the edge of the bed and then walked over to an imposing wooden chest of draws. 

“I thought you might like to borrow these.” He pulled out a t-shirt and pair of baggy cotton sweatpants. “We keep spare clothes here for emergencies.” 

Bela looked down at her ruined dress, noticing for the first time the dark splotches across the hem. 

“Don’t worry,” Hamish said, his voice quiet. “It’s not your blood.” He avoided her eyes and turned to face the wall, giving her some privacy. 

As Bela changed she looked around the room again. “Randall mentioned you all have rooms here - kind of like a frat house - but you have an apartment too?” 

Hamish nodded, though she couldn’t see his face. “My apartment’s off-campus.” He said, “I spend most of my time here, it’s easier for work and it’s nice to have the company, but I use my apartment if I need a break.”

“If Randall and Lillith annoy you?” Bela smiled. 

Hamish laughed. “They can be a little much sometimes.” 

Bela hummed in agreement. She lay her dress down beside the bed and slipped under the duvet, enjoying the feeling of being enveloped by the cool sheets. Her whole body ached, and though she’d only been awake for a short time, she was completely exhausted. 

The bed dipped as Hamish sat on the edge. He reached over to pull the covers snug around her shoulders, ignoring the way his stomach flipped seeing Bela lying in his bed, wearing his clothes. 

Bela covered her mouth as she yawned. “You don’t need to tuck me into bed Haim, I’m not sick.” 

He smiled at her and brushed his fingertips softly across her forehead, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. 

“Rest.” He said, watching her eyes droop closed. 

As he made his way to the door Bela called out to him, her voice thick with sleep. “Thanks, Haim. It’s nice to be around people - after tonight.” 

As he hesitated by the door the light from the hallway cast his face in shadow. “You’re safe here Bels, we’re not going to let anything happen to you.” His eyes darkened as they scanned her face. “And you don’t need to worry about Tanner - he’s going to be dealt with.”


	4. Chapter 4

Vera glanced down as a large object rolled through her office and came to a stop a few feet away from her polished black louboutins. Tanner Jeffries’ eyes stared up at her, unseeing, from their dismembered perch. 

She moved her gaze to the man who had just thrown the head. “Take a seat, Mr Duke.” 

Hamish ignored her direction. Instead he strode up to her desk, placing himself directly in front of the Grand Magus. 

Vera pursed her crimson lips, taking in the werewolf’s obvious distress, and stood to face him. “We'll, I imagine if you were here to kill me, you would have done so without the theatrics. Now please," she gestured at the chair in front of her.

Hamish didn’t move. Clenching his hands into fists he allowed his eyes to flash once, in warning. He could feel Tundra prowling below his surface, begging to be let loose again, and he had half a mind to give the wolf what it wanted. 

"Very well." She nodded, sitting back down. "How can I help you, Mr Duke?"

“Your follower tried to kill us last night. He used a Mutatis spell to transform himself into a wolf. He kidnapped Bela- Belatrice Gray and used her as bait to lure the Knights into a trap. His plan failed.” He scanned her face, waiting for some sort of reaction. Vera looked at him as if he’d asked her how many lumps of sugar she wanted in her coffee. 

“I see.” She waved towards the head at her feet. “And you decided to take matters into your own hands?”

Hamish felt himself edging closer to Tundra’s white-hot fury. He slammed his fists down between them, shaking the table and earning a small flinch from Vera. “This isn't the first time members of the Order have targeted us. You expect the Knights to protect you, but you send crazed zealots to attack innocent-”

“As much as I'd like to,” Vera interrupted him, her clipped tone echoing off the stone walls, “I do not track my disciples’ every move and I am certainly not responsible for Mr Jeffries’ actions.” 

Hamish glared at her from across the table. She huffed and rolled her eyes. “Fine. Yes, I did hear something about such a plot yesterday."

“And you didn't think to warn us?” 

“In my experience, Acolytes very rarely get anywhere when they use spells above their training. They usually end up causing more damage to themselves than others. Anyway, it was my understanding that the Knights could handle themselves.”

“It’s not the Knights that I was worried about.” 

Vera was surprised by how much this kidnapping had rattled the normally unflappable leader - and for a student too, not even a member of his pack. “If memory serves,” She said, considering her words, “werewolves can be deeply territorial. I wouldn’t want to step on any toes - or paws, by involving The Order in events concerning your girlfriend.”

“She's not my- that's not the point. Bela could have died, she almost did. She’s covered in bruises and we can’t even explain what happened to her.” 

She studied him carefully. "Do I need to remind you about the importance of keeping this organisation a secret, Mr Duke?"

Hamish was taken aback. He removed his hands from the table and folded them across his chest. “I haven't broken any rules, Miss Stone.”

“Grand Magus,” She corrected him. “And good, let's keep it that way.” Vera flicked her hand and the doors to her office swung open with a sharp crack. “Now if you'll excuse me.”

Hamish didn't move.

She sighed. This conversation had already gone on for much longer than she would have liked. “Mr Duke, why are you still here?” 

“You don't seem concerned that one of your lemmings nearly killed a student at your school Chancellor, or that I killed him.” 

“As I said, cautionary tale.” Vera’s tone was cold. She was becoming more and more irritated by the second. “Let me make something very clear to you, Mr Duke. At the moment we have a mutually beneficial agreement with the Knights. As long as the arrangement continues it allows me to grant you, and your friends some leeway. Mr Jeffries dabbled in something dangerous, against the wishes of this Temple and he is clearly not going to have the luxury of making the same mistake twice.” 

She rose from her chair and circled around the table, causing Hamish to take a step back. 

“I could choose to punish you and your friends. I could remove your memories and make sure Miss Gray never even remembers meeting any of you, but you've removed a disorderly Acolyte from my midst and saved me the headache of having to find a replacement TA for Professor Liebernacht - that man would drive a Saint to drink. Consider the matter - and yourself - dismissed."

She turned away from him, refocusing herself on the manuscript laid out across her table. Their conversation was clearly over. 

Hamish made it to the office door before she called him, “Mr Duke?”

Hamish glanced back at her.

“Send one of the Acolytes through to clear this up, before it stains my rug.”

“Yes, Grand Magus.”

\- - - - -

“What-up, Ham Christian Anderson?”

Hamish grimaced at his phone. “First off, no.” Randall chuckled on the other end of the line. “Secondly, we don’t have to worry about Tanner anymore.”

“Oh dude,” Randall let out a low whistle. “Did you eat his heart?” 

“Yes,” Hamish replied. 

With Alyssa’s tracking spell it hadn’t taken long to find Tanner again. Caught out without the ingredients for his Mutatis spell, he’d been little threat to Tundra this time around. 

“And then I decapitated him and took his head to Vera’s office.” Randall could hear the strain in the older man’s voice. 

“What?” Randall’s shock was evident, “Um, isn’t declaring war on The Order something we should have discussed as a group first?”

Hamish ran a hand over his face as he walked across the Belgrave campus. Randall was right, he’d had no way of knowing how Vera would react to him showing up with a bloody head. In his anger he’d acted rashly, endangering the tenuous peace they’d established. “You’re right,” he sighed, “I wasn’t thinking straight. I’m sorry.”

“Ok, well what happened - do we need to start laying magic traps around the Den like in Home Alone?” 

Hamish smiled to himself. Even worried Randall couldn’t resist a pop culture reference. “Not yet,” he said, “The Grand Magus gave us a pass on this one. She more or less implied that she would wipe all of our memories again if we stepped out of line and threatened to make Bela forget we exist, but she didn’t seem too upset that I killed Tanner.” 

Randall sighed in relief. “Oh boy. Well, can you blame her? Do you remember when he brought a guitar to that house party and sat around playing it all night? What a douche.”

Hamish hummed in agreement.

“Wait,” said Randall, his voice rising a few decibels, “Was she more more, or more less with the mind-wiping? Because that was not a good time for any of us.” 

“I’ll catch you up properly when I get back,” Hamish skirted around a student tour group. “I’m on my way to the Den now. Is Bela up yet?” 

“Yeah, I took her home about an hour ago.” 

“You what?” Hamish stopped for a second and then took off towards the Den again, his pace faster. 

“Haim, relax. I made sure she was fine. I’m going to go and check on her in a few hours. You know she’s my friend, right? I’m not going to let anything happen to her.”

“I know, but she shouldn’t be on her own. I should-”

“You should let her sleep.” Randall interrupted. “She’s had a long night - you both have. Tanner’s dead, she’s safe, Haim.” When Hamish didn’t answer he continued, “Listen, why don’t you go home and get some rest. I’ll check in on Bela in the morning and text you if anything comes up.” 

Hamish shook his head and then remembered that his friend couldn’t see him. It had been a long night. “Randall, I know you mean well but I need to-”

“Look,” Randall interrupted, his voice firm. “I know you’re the boss but that wasn’t a request - go get some rest. You’re not any use to anyone at the moment.”

“Harsh, but fair.” Hamish could almost hear Randall smiling on the other end of the line. “Ok, you’re right - thanks.” He pressed end on the call and headed back to his apartment, trying to dampen the uneasy feeling rising from his stomach. 

He hadn’t realised how much he was counting on seeing Bela until Randall said she wasn’t at the Den. The prospect of leaving her in someone else’s care, even someone he trusted as much as Randall, made him bristle in a way that was totally unfamiliar and not entirely unpleasant. He knew if he was in wolf form he wouldn’t be able to stop himself from going to her apartment, but Tundra wasn’t in charge right now, he was. 

Now, Hamish thought as he crossed the sidewalk opposite his apartment, he just needed to actually believe that himself.


	5. Chapter 5

The morning after he’d taken her home, Randall appeared at her door with coffee, bagels and a tube of anti-inflammatory gel, which he’d instructed her to apply three times a day to her legs alongside pain killers and bed rest. Bela didn’t need to be told twice - she happily spent the next 24 hours in bed, only moving to visit the bathroom and fetch snacks. 

Though she’d slept well in Hamish’s room, she could barely keep her eyes open once she got home. 

She still couldn’t remember what had happened, but Randall had assured her that this was a totally normal side-effect of some sedatives, and she’d feel better after sleep.

And he was right. On Sunday morning Bela had woken with a clear head and a spring - well, maybe a hop - in her step. While the rest, cold compresses and pain relief had considerably lessened her discomfort, the bruises had yet to fade. 

With a renewed sense of purpose she took a shower, pulled on her comfiest leggings and fired off a quick text to Randall before heading to the laundry room. 

\- - - - - 

As Bela climbed the stairs to the penthouse hallway she looked around, trying to distract herself from the dull throbbing in her legs. There was no denying that the building was beautiful; lovingly restored exposed brick clad the walls of the stairwell, accented by a highly polished brass bannister, industrial light fittings and a buffed hardwood floor that looked suspiciously like an original feature. 

An apartment here must cost more than what Hamish made in a year. Bela was beginning to suspect that the tall blonde had more disposable income than most of the other TAs she knew at Belgrave. 

The only thing that the deluxe block was missing, she thought, was an elevator. 

She huffed in relief as she finally came face-to-face with the slick, black penthouse door. She took a moment to catch her breath and then rapped twice. 

After a few minutes a sleepy figure dressed in a casual navy button-down, appeared from behind the door. 

“Bela?” Hamish’s eyebrows arched in surprise as he looked at the woman on his doorstep. “I thought you were resting?… I mean… Hello.” His eyes crinkled slightly as she shifted her weight from foot to foot. 

The corner of Bela’s mouth lifted in a small smile as she raised her eyes to catch his. “I’m fine, promise. Sorry if I woke you, I messaged Randall for your address - I hope that’s ok? I just wanted to say thank you for letting me borrow these.” She held out a stack of freshly-washed clothes towards him. “And for everything else - you know, you kind of saved me”. 

Hamish flushed slightly. “I don’t know about that” he shrugged, “I’m sure you would have done the same for a friend.” 

He reached out to grab the bundle, brushing his warm fingers against Bela’s wrist. 

“Ah - right.” Bela pulled her arm back abruptly. She suddenly felt self-conscious. Friend. Of course Hamish was just being polite, as always. Their date plans had been ruined twice now and after the situation the other night he was probably starting to regret asking her out in the first place. 

Hamish frowned as a small crease appeared between her brows. 

“Yeah,” she began, “of course. Thanks anyway though, I really appreciate it.” She produced a clear bottle from her bag and thrust it towards him. “Just, as a thank you - taking care of someone isn’t much fun on a night out. Let me know if I can do anything, I owe you a favour now!” 

Hamish barely had time to drop the clothes and grab the vodka before she turned away from the door and bolted down the hallway. He stood frozen for a moment before he rushed after her. By the time he reached Bela she had already travelled down one set of stairs - a surprising distance for someone who was still visibly struggling to move comfortably. 

“Wait! Bels - wait a minute.”

She didn’t stop until his hand closed around her elbow. He wanted to tell her how he felt, how angry and guilty he was that she had been threatened because of him and how glad he was that she was ok - more than glad, but when she spun around her expression caught him off-guard. She lifted her head defiantly, cheeks burning. 

His words died under her steady gaze. 

Instead, Hamish raised the bottle. “You can’t expect me to drink this on my own?” 

\- - - - - 

“Liquid Lust” Bela declared with a flourish, handing him a sunset-hued beverage. 

Hamish took a sip and sighed in appreciation “It’s fruity.” He took a second sip, “...and strong”.

Bela grinned. “That’s the tequila. I can’t believe you had hibiscus tea and syrup in your bar, what are the chances?”. 

“A well-stocked bar, is one of life’s essentials.” Hamish smiled back at her from over the rim of his glass. Hours had passed since Bela had turned up at his door. Comfortable conversation over an afternoon drink had morphed gradually into a cocktail-making competition, though Hamish couldn’t say when exactly they’d moved from one to the other, or who was winning.

They’d started with a Cupid’s Arrow, which led to a round of blackberry Potion d’Amours, then on to a pink-tinted Queen of Hearts and finally, the rather interestingly-named, Between the Sheets. Things were starting to get a little blurry around the edges.

Now they were both sprawled across Hamish’s large leather sofa, Bela’s legs outstretched, her feet resting in his lap.

“Your turn.” Bela prompted, waving her empty glass. 

Hamish reluctantly dislodged her and made his way to the open-shelved bar that took up a large portion of the wall in his loft space. He ducked behind the countertop and reappeared after a few minutes with two tall glasses.

“Sex on the Beach.” he said with a wry smile. 

Bela’s eyes widened slightly and then she burst out laughing. “Wait -” she said, setting the glass down on the nearby coffee table before walking to the bar. She emerged moments later with two smaller glasses. “We should drink these first then,” she said with a wink, “best not to rush things”. 

She handed him a smaller glass topped with whipped cream. “It’s a shot.”  
Hamish felt heat creep up his neck as he recognised the layers of amaretto, coffee liqueur and irish cream. “Yes… a Blow Job shot”. 

Bela snorted. “Take it you’ve had one before then?” 

The sound that came out of Hamish’s throat was something close to a growl. He threw the shot back and chased it with his cocktail. 

“Bottoms up,” he gestured to her to finish her drinks before heading back to the bar. 

Two can play at this game, he thought darkley. 

On some level Hamish acknowledged that his judgement was impaired. Logically he knew his reaction to Bela being in danger, the way he’d lost control, wasn’t normal, but when he was around her he couldn’t find it in himself to worry about it. She made him feel good for the first time in longer than he cared to remember and he deserved to feel good, didn’t he? 

He set down a tumbler filled with clear liquid. 

“Don’t tell me we’re switching to water?” Bela looked a little disappointed. 

“No,” Hamish smirked “Vodka, rosemary syrup and lemon juice, also known as a Tie Me Up, Tie Me Down”. 

It was Bela’s turn to blush. 

\- - - - -

“Huh?” Hamish raised his head from the sofa to look over to the bar, where Bela’s head was just visible.

“I said, do you have cola?” she asked, looking through the various bottles, jars and garnishes in the bar’s mini fridge. 

Hamish pulled himself to his feet and went to retrieve a bottle from the kitchen. “Here.” He held it out to her as he joined her behind the bar. 

“Of course it was in your actual fridge, not your special cocktail fridge,” she said, nudging him in the side playfully. 

Hamish tried not to focus on the warm tingle that spread through his midriff when she made contact. He closed his eyes briefly, inhaling the vanilla and cinnamon scent from her shampoo as she leaned across him to add a generous splash of cola to the glasses in front of him. 

Thanks to his heightened senses her smell was one of the first things he’d noticed about Bela when he met her - warm and rich like freshly-baked pastries. He almost wished she hadn’t washed his clothes before returning them. 

“Soulmate?” 

His eyes shot open. “Yes… uh.” He faltered, uncharacteristically. “Sorry, what?” 

She shot him a questioning look, “It’s a Soulmate.” She gestured to the glasses on the counter, “Rum, cherries, cola. Hey, are you ok Haim? Do you want water instead?”. 

Hamish shook his head, “No, I’m ok - I can handle my alcohol”. 

“Of course you can, Profess- ah!”. 

He caught her as she tripped, pulling her close to his chest to support her weight before she hit the floor. The heat of her body, pressed flush against his, soaked through the thin layers of cotton separating them and spread through him, an instant warmth that sparked what felt like a million minuscule explosions across every cell in his body. 

They both hesitated for a moment before Bela took a shallow breath and pulled herself off him. Through a cloud of embarrassment she dimly registered how Hamish’s hand lingered on the small of her back and how shaken he looked as he reluctantly stepped away. 

“There you go, saving me again.” She glanced up at him and then frowned, turning to the mess on the counter. “Our drinks weren’t so lucky”.

He recovered quickly, producing a stack of cocktail napkins from a nearby draw, which he used to dab the pools of liquid. A smile quirked at the corner of his mouth. 

“It’s fine, I’ll get us a refill - do you think you can make it to the sofa without injuring yourself?” 

Bela rolled her eyes, “I’m not always this clumsy you know, maybe i’m the one who can’t hold my drink.”

“Ok” Hamish nodded firmly, as he busied himself clearing up the mess and adding ingredients to a fresh set of glasses. “Well, this will be our last one then.”

Bela mentally kicked herself as she carefully picked her way back to the living area. The last thing she wanted right now was for the evening to end. She was enjoying seeing the normally buttoned-up Hamish let loose a little, but even in this state he was too much of a gentleman to let her drink too much. Still, flirty-tipsy Hamish might just be her new favourite drinking companion - and she couldn’t deny how good it felt to have his arms wrapped around her when he caught her. 

His thin shirt had done little to hide the broad, muscular outline of his shoulders when he pulled her to him, and even distracted by her own clumsiness, she found herself wanting to run her hands across those shoulders and down his back. 

Caught in her own thoughts, she barely noticed that she had been staring at him, watching the shape of his arms, shoulders and chest, until he cleared his throat, snapping her out of her haze, and handed over her final drink. 

She took it, and quickly swallowed a sip to hide her embarrassment. “Apple juice, gin and... lemon?” she guessed, swirling remnants of the sweet, sharp liquid around her mouth. 

“Impressive.” Hamish sat down and leaned towards her, his eyes deep pools. “I call it Dutch Courage.”

“Oh, really?” Bela placed her glass down. Her heart beat faster as she leaned towards Hamish, noting with interest when his cheeks flushed and he edged closer, as if he could hear the steady thrumming in her chest. His eyes flicked down as she licked a trace of lemony sweetness from her lips. “And what are we going to do with our Dutch Courage, Haim?” 

Hamish growled lightly under his breath. “To hell with it,” he whispered, before leaning forward suddenly, capturing her lips in a kiss.


	6. Chapter 6

His kiss scorched her skin and stole her breath. Electricity zipped up her spine and exploded behind her eyelids in a crescendo of coloured lights. 

Bela felt as if she had always been waiting for this moment. 

Hamish pulled her into his lap and she settled with her legs straddling his. She lifted her hands to his head, running fingers through his hair and to the back of his neck, pulling him closer. When he finally broke away they were both breathing heavily. 

“Bela,” Hamish whispered. She liked the way he said her name, as if it was some sort of wish. His cheeks were flushed and lips slightly swollen, but his eyes were focused. “Do you want this? I mean, is this what you-”. 

“Haim,” Bela interrupted him, steel threading her tone. “Yes. Yes - please just kiss-” she broke off as Hamish crashed his lips against hers again. He ran a hand across her cheek, gently cradling her face in his palm as his kiss softened. When she gasped in response he slid his tongue across her bottom lip, chasing the sweet taste of lemon and gin that still coated the corners of her mouth. Bela parted her lips. 

“Bedroom?” Hamish spoke between kisses. Bela nodded and then squealed as he rose from the sofa, lifting her with him as if she weighed nothing. She tucked her legs around his waist and he planted his hands firmly under her as he moved steadily towards a door on the wall opposite them. She barely had time to look at her surroundings before she was placed on a soft bed. The mattress beside her dipped as Hamish joined her. 

Bela grabbed a handful of his shirt and pulled him closer to her, then winced and hissed slightly as pressure bit into her thighs. Though alcohol had done a lot to help numb the ache and make her more comfortable, her injuries weren’t going unnoticed. 

Hamish gave her a pained look. “Bels, I don’t want to hurt you.” He drew away, placing a steadying hand on her hip when she let out a whine of frustration and tried to pull him closer. “I’m serious, I couldn’t live with myself if I hurt you.” 

Bela touched the side of his face, his expression was so serious. 

“I promise it’s ok, I’m fine, just a little sore.” He looked unconvinced. “I’ll tell you if it hurts, I promise Haim. Now take your shirt off.” 

He smiled a little as Bela tugged at the fabric between them. 

“Ok.” He pulled off his navy button-down, revealing, as Bela had suspected, an incredibly well-toned and muscular physique. 

“Can I?” He ran his hand down the side of her hip. Bela nodded. 

Hamish carefully grasped the edge of her leggings, slowly peeling off her clothes until she was bare from the waist down. He knelt lower down the bed, looking back up at Bela with an unreadable expression in his eyes. Seconds passed and she was afraid that he was going to refuse to go any further, but after a moment he ran his hands lightly over the patchwork of purple and blue that now bloomed across a third of her upper legs. 

He leaned closer to the bruises until his lips were just brushing them. “I’m so sorry,” he whispered, kissing the edge of her injured skin. 

“I’m never,” kiss. 

“Ever,” kiss. 

“Going to let this,” kiss. 

“Happen again.” As he kissed, he moved further up her thighs, peppering her skin until he reached his goal. 

Bela gasped when his lips made contact, the sight of his head between her legs, hair ruffled from its usually neat parting and threaded through her fingers was almost too much to bear. 

He caressed her thoroughly, applying the same diligent and focused precision that he brought to every task that came under his capable hands. By the time Bela called out his name she could swear that a mere gesture from him could make oceans part and cities fall. 

As she opened her eyes, Hamish pulled away, his sudden absence leaving her breathless and aching with anticipation. 

“Haim-” Bela let out a strangled sound. “I need you - please.” 

Hamish nodded and pulled off the rest of his clothes, not needing any further preparation. He helped her remove her shirt, stopping only momentarily to place a kiss on the sensitive spot at the crook of her neck, before hovering above her, careful not to rest any unnecessary weight where it could cause her pain. 

“You’re sure this is what you want?” He questioned. 

Bela simply nodded. She didn’t trust herself to speak. She couldn’t find the right words to describe that her need for him went so far beyond want at this point. 

They both groaned in relief as he pushed steadily into her. Hamish paused for a moment, giving her time to adjust to his presence while he kissed her deeply, and then they moved in unison. 

The air in the room was close and heavy, full of gasps and whispered pleads as their movements grew in frequency, each responding in turn to the other’s requests until they were in perfect synchronisation. As the rhythm increased Bela let out a whimper. 

“Hamish, I’m gonna-”

“Hold on,” he murmured, “I’m almost there with you, I just need to-”. 

He maneuvered her gently and placed her on her side, making sure not to put any pressure on her injured thighs. As he hit new depths inside her, a moan escaped from Bela’s lips 

From this position, with Hamish cradling her tenderly from behind she could feel as his body went taut against her soft curves. She felt the rumble of his breath across her ear as he growled lightly, and how his grip tightened on her hip, but she didn’t catch when his nails lengthened ever so slightly, into claws. 

His pace quickened almost imperceptibly and that was all it took for Bela to reach her peak. Tumbling over, fluttering around him, she gasped, breathing Hamish’s name like a prayer. 

It was at that moment, as Hamish surrendered himself fully inside her warmth, with Bela chanting his name like a mantra, that his eyes flooded with silver and he leaned forward, burying his fangs in the soft, smooth skin at the base of her neck, piercing the flesh. 

Bela screamed, once, and then everything was silent.


	7. Chapter 7

Hamish was awoken by the watery light streaming in through his bedroom window. He turned his head away from the intrusion, desperately chasing the last remnants of sleep. 

He’d been having the most unusually vivid dream. The taste of Bela’s lemon-tinted lips on his, the sound of her gasping his name as he grasped the soft curve of her hip, the taste of flesh, flashes of blood.

His eyes flew open. He sat up suddenly, heart racing and looked around the room. 

Next to his own unclothed form, there she lay, curled around his duvet, sleeping peacefully. His breathing slowed as his eyes traced her outline, searching for signs of injury. 

There was no blood, no torn flesh, no sign of distress, but… he brushed aside a lock of hair, careful not to disturb her. On the patch of skin below the back of her neck, smooth and even, as if they’d been painted on, sat two faint red crescents. A bite mark. 

Hamish’ stomach plummeted. It hadn’t been a dream, he’d lost control and he - well, Tundra - had bitten Bela last night. As he scanned the discoloured marks that marred the previously unblemished area he began to feel more and more uneasy. He could still feel the pressure of his teeth sinking into her neck, the taste, but this bite looked like it had healed years ago. It didn’t make sense. 

Hamish rose from the bed, quickly and quietly and grabbed the closest outfit he could find. Bela wasn’t safe with him here, something was very wrong.

He needed to get to the Den, now. 

\- - - - - 

“So, you didn’t bite her?”

Hamish raked a hand through his hair as he stared at Randall. “No, I- Tundra did. It’s like I couldn’t keep him out, I had no control.” 

Lilith shook her head. “But it wasn’t there when you woke up? And Bela didn’t say anything?”

“What would she say,” Jack said, “Morning Hamish, I had a great time last night - by the way, did you turn into a werewolf and take a great big chunk out of my neck?”

“No,” Hamish said, “I told you, the bite had healed somehow and I left before she woke up.” 

“Ooh,” said Jack “Maybe she’s some sort of vampire with superhuman healing abilities”. 

Randall grinned, “Or a mutant, like Wolverine from X-Men.” He paused when he saw the look on Hamish’s face. “No, probably not a mutant. Definitely not a mutant... are you sure it happened? Maybe the mark is from something else - I fell asleep on a textbook after finals, had a line on my arm for three days.” 

Hamish’s head throbbed as he looked across the room at Jack, Randall and Lilith. He’d been glad to find all three of them in the Den when he burst through the door half an hour ago, strewn across the living room. Judging from the state of the place, they were recovering from a beer pong session. 

After they’d finished making comments about his uncharacteristically haphazard appearance and lack of tie, he’d managed to explain what had happened with Bela - the bite, blacking out after and waking up this morning with her still in one piece. 

As he watched their conversation turn to the different ways they’d managed to injure themselves in their sleep, his mind drifted to the woman he’d left in his apartment. He wondered whether she’d found the note he’d left yet, a carefully crafted lie to explain his unexpected absence, propped against a glass of juice and packet of Advil on the bedside table. It took more willpower than he expected not to lean down and brush a kiss against her temple before he left, but he couldn’t risk waking her.

“Enough.” Hamish snapped, pulling the trio from their hungover musings. “This is serious. I’ve never seen anything like this, never even read about anything like it and… things have been different recently. I’ve been losing control. I’ve put Bela in danger - I’ve put all of you in danger.”

His three friends looked up at him, all traces of humour gone. 

“Ok,” Randall said. He threw off the blanket and walked over to the bookshelf in the corner of the room. “Let’s hit the books then.” 

\- - - - -

“Wha-!” Hamish ducked as a leather bound volume went sailing past his head. 

“How could you?” Lilith was furious, her face a mask of rage, eyes flashing between silver and brown in a kaleidoscopic blur. 

Randall spun on his heels as Hamish regained his composure. “What the hell Lilith?”

“Without her consent Hamish? You mated with her without her consent?”

“Woah,” Jack chipped in from his perch on the stairs, “Even I know that’s wrong, dude.”

Randall spun back to Hamish, who looked baffled, and then held up his hands in an attempt to keep Lilith and Hamish apart. 

“Haim,” he said, keeping one eye on Lilith, who was now shifting from foot to foot, as if readying herself to launch at their leader. “What did you do?”

Hamish raised his hands in defence. “Nothing. I asked before we were intimate. I would never...” He trailed off when Lilith let out a small snarl. 

“I’m not talking about sex Hamish, you marked her - read the damn book.”

Hamish didn’t move. He looked stricken, the blood draining from his face. 

Randall retrieved the book from the floor and opened it to the page Lilith had marked with a scrap of paper. “Though often depicted otherwise in folklore, most werewolves will never find a mate. Those who do are rare.” He began, glancing up at Hamish who had placed his head in his hands. 

“Once a mate is identified the hide will compel the wearer to bond with their potential partner, before marking them as their own. This stage of the mating process is dangerous and, if the champion is not in control of the hide, often results in the death of their mate.”

Hamish swayed a little on his feet. 

Randall continued. “Those who survive have little recollection of this process, though it is not known why. As well as providing a euphoric effect, the saliva produced by the wolf during mating causes the mark to heal quickly. The bond created through mating is irreversible and can only be severed by the death of the hide’s host, or the death of their mate. The benefits of mating include an incomparable sense of loyalty, enhanced resistance to magic and the ability to bear -”.

“Stop.” Hamish’s voice cracked. He lowered his hands from his ashen face. 

Lilith was ready to punch something, or someone. “Loyalty?” she snarled, “It’s brainwashing Hamish. How could you do this to her? She’s our friend - you didn’t even give her a choice.” 

Randall scoffed as he placed the book on the table next to the sofa. “Your friend, Lil? When was the last time you two hung out on your own.” 

“Stop.” Hamish’s voice was barely more than a whisper. 

“Well, apparently she’s going to be our new werewolf step mom or something so -”

“As if that makes you best friends. Wait a second - does that mean Hamish is our werewolf dad?” 

“More like grandad,” Jack piped up. 

“Urgh!” Lilith let out a wail of frustration and rounded on Randall, her eyes finally settling on silver discs. She growled again as her nails lengthened into claws. 

“STOP!” For a brief second Hamish’s eyes flashed and his face contorted as a change washed over him, then he took a deep breath and the anger seemed to drain out of him. His shoulders slumped as he pushed past Randall and Lilith and sat heavily on the sofa. 

Randall glanced at Lilith, eyes wide. 

“I didn’t know any of this,” Hamish said, looking up at them. “I never would have gone near her if I’d known. And now I can’t... I can’t take it back. She could have died because of me - because I care about her and -” He broke off, placing his head once again in his hands. 

Randall sat down next to Hamish and put a steadying palm on his back. “Bela is my friend,” he said, emphasising the word 'my' as he glared at Lilith. “You both are - I know you wouldn’t do anything to hurt her. And she likes you, she really, really likes you, even without this mate stuff.” 

Lilith looked at Hamish, her eyes clouded. “I’m sorry Haim, we’ll do whatever we can to help.” 

“No.” Hamish stood suddenly, jerking away from Randall. “I need to stay away from Bela. I can’t undo what I’ve done but if I keep my distance maybe she’ll be safe. I can’t lose someone I love. Not again.” He strode out of the Den, slamming the door hard enough to rattle its hinges on his way out.

“Right,” Jack sighed from the stairwell, “good to know we have a solid plan.”


	8. Chapter 8

“Stupid, stupid, STUPID.” The vending machine shook as Bela whacked the side of it, earning her a dirty look from a young, blonde woman sitting at the table across from her in the student lounge. 

She gave the machine another thump and her packet of Cheetos fell forward a fraction of an inch, and then stopped. Bela didn’t know whether to laugh, cry, or give the irritating box a good solid kick. 

“Wow, nothing gets a woman going like a faulty vending machine.” Randall joked as he joined his friend in front of the infernal device. “Don’t worry Bels, I’ve got you covered.” 

He reached into his satchel and pulled out a Twix. As Bela took it with a small ‘thanks’, her eyes were suspiciously glassy. Randall grimaced, “Bad day?”

“Bad month.” Bela replied. 

“Still on for our epic film night?” 

Bela nodded. “When have I ever said no to The Princess Bride? We can grab snacks on the way to mine.”

As they walked Bela felt herself relax slightly, letting Randall’s easy chatter drown out the sounds of the students around them. 

“We thought we’d celebrate the end of finals but Jack was busy with Alyssa again, like always - must be a Tuesday, right? I wanted to go to B&C but Lil insisted on going to that new bar down the road, the one with all the bikers-” 

Bela nodded in sympathy, unwrapping her Twix. 

“And then we got SO drunk, Hamis-” Randall broke off suddenly. 

Bela looked at him. “You can say his name, Randall.” 

“I didn’t want to upset you.” 

“Who’s upset?” Her eyes flashed. “It’s totally normal to sleep with someone who ditches you in their apartment and then ignores you for three weeks straight. The kids call it being ‘ghosted’ Randall, and it’s a normal part of the college experience.” 

Catching the look on her friend’s face she forced her expression into something she hoped resembled a smile. “Really,” she insisted, “I’m over it.” 

“Yes, of course you are - I’m totally convinced.” 

Bela had been trying her hardest to avoid drawing her friend into her little pity party over Hamish. She’d had her feelings hurt before by a guy - by a dozen guys, but this time it stung more than she wanted to admit. When Bela had woken alone in Hamish’s apartment with sore legs, a sore neck and, well, sore all over, she had been surprised. A few days and three unreturned texts later she’d been worried. After Randall had awkwardly confirmed over coffee, that Hamish was in fact, alive, she had been furious. 

Despite hitting all of the usual heartbreak remedies - romcom binges, a rather satisfying round of axe throwing at the hipster place round the corner, and just plain, wallowing - Bela’s feelings were as raw as they had been weeks ago. As much as she wanted to, she just wasn’t moving on. 

She’d quickly realised that talking to Randall was off the cards. He was her friend, but he was also Hamish’s friend. When she attempted to casually bring up the situation, his insistence that it was just a difficult and complicated situation (which he couldn’t explain to her), just made her feel worse. Besides, it wasn’t fair for her to put him in the middle of what was quickly turning into a bizarre and deeply depressing, failed romantic conquest. 

The final straw had been last Monday. She’d been walking home from class, distracted by the thought of another late night grading papers, when she rounded a corner and almost ran head-first into him. The countless nights spent imagining what she'd do if she saw Hamish did little to prepare her. There was no apology, no awkward exchange or attempt to excuse his abrupt absence from her life, Hamish had just turned on his heels and walked off in the opposite direction, leaving Bela, and a very confused Randall and Lilith in his wake. 

Once they’d all recovered from the moment, Lilith and Randall had offered to help carry the papers back to her apartment, but Bela politely and firmly refused. 

Instead she walked the 15 minute journey home, closed her front door on the outside world and then, after setting the papers neatly on her coffee table, burst into tears. 

“Bels,” said Randall, pulling her out of her thoughts. 

“Mmhm?” 

“I don’t think you’re fine.” He reached over and prised the mangled chocolate bar from her fist. “Blade and Chalice?” He suggested. 

“Yes, please,” Bela said with a weak smile. 

\- - - - - 

“You’re gone and I gotta stay high, all the time, to keep you off my mind, ooOo-hoo, ooOoo-hoo.” Gabrielle warbled from a stage in the corner of the packed bar. 

“You didn’t tell me it was karaoke night.” Bela rolled her eyes as the brunette milked the spotlight for all she could. 

“She sounds like an angel.” Randall slurred, pouring himself another beer. 

Bela squinted at him. “Do you have a crush on Gabrielle?”

“Pffft,” Randall blinked a few times, trying to focus on the stage, “She does sing it well though…” 

“Right, I’m cutting you off.” 

“Nooooo, hells bells-ha! Bels. Get it?” 

“Yes,” Bela sighed, “I get it.”

Randall frowned. “But you’re not laughing.” 

“That’s because it wasn’t funny.” 

Randall grabbed his chest. “You wound me Bela. And to think I thought of you as my friend.” 

“A real friend would get us a refill from the bar.” Bela shook the empty pitcher. 

As Randall stumbled across the room she looked around. The Blade and Chalice was packed with students, regulars and - was that? Yep - even a few professors. They’d managed to snag a table by the door when they got there but as the hours ticked on the place had quickly filled up and was now almost uncomfortably busy. The promise of cheap beer and bad karaoke clearly drew a big crowd and though it wasn’t Bela’s usual idea of a good night, she couldn’t deny that sitting here with her friend, downing drinks and mocking the performances was actually proving to be a pretty decent distraction. 

“I have a surprise for you.”

“Is it more beer?” 

Randall placed the pitcher on the table between them. “No, well yes. But also I signed us up for a song.” 

“Oh great, so we can be the drunk idiots everyone’s making fun of?” 

“C’mon Bels, it’s just a bit of fun. Let’s do something funnnnnnn, for once in our lives! No one cares, they’re all at least five beers deep anyway.” 

Bela huffed. He had a point.

“Fine, but I’m not singing a ballad.” 

Randall did a happy dance and dragged Bella up to the stage. As the first chords of Now or Never by Halsey began, Bela grimaced. 

“You’ve got to be kidding me, Randall.” 

“Big smile doll, it’s showtime!” He launched into the first verse. “I don’t wanna fight right now. Know you always right. Know I need you round with me, but nobody waitin’ round with me.” 

Bela groaned as he smiled in encouragement. “Been through the ups, yeah the ups and the downs with me. Got a whole lot of love, but you don’t wanna spread it round with me.”

“Let’s take it to the chorus!” Randall shouted into the mic. Bela smiled at her friend, he was clearly having the time of his life. 

Randall’s voice joined hers as they sang together, “Baby gon’ love me now, now, now, now, now or never. I want you to hold me down, down, down, down, down forever.” Randall shook his hips, eliciting a chorus of cheers and whistles from the crowd. 

Bela giggled, for the first time in ages she was actually kind of enjoying herself. The beer gave her a fuzzy, comfortably numb feeling and as she watched Randall crooning into his mic, dancing provocatively in front of the crowd she couldn’t help but grin. When he noticed her smiling he grabbed her hand and twirled her round. They finished their song with a flourish and made their way off the stage. 

As they stepped down Gabrielle approached Randall. “Nice dance moves,” She said, leaning close to him and batting her long lashes. “Want to buy me a drink?”. 

He looked at her like a deer caught in headlights for a second and then remembered why he was in the bar in the first place. “Uh, I’m hanging with my bestie tonight.” 

Bela rolled her eyes and leaned over to him. “Are you crazy? Go have fun - I’m fine!” 

“No, I’m not leaving you alone”. 

“Don’t be an idiot. Tonight was awesome, consider me cheered up! Now go.” She gave him a gentle shove in Gabrielle’s direction. He flashed her a hasty thumbs up and mouthed wish me luck, before following her to the bar. 

Bela smiled to herself, Gabrielle was going to eat that boy alive. 

She was making her way back to the table to grab her bag when she bumped into someone coming from the direction of the bar. 

Lilith swore loudly as the glasses she was holding splashed over, catching the front of her jeans. “Seriously? I just got these, watch where you’re going, you drunk- oh. Shit. Hi”. Lilith looked up, her anger fizzling when she recognised Bela. 

Oh God, Bela thought, if Lilith was here did that mean…?

As if she could read her mind, Lilith raised the glasses. “Uh…I’m just here for a nightcap.” 

Bela eyed the drinks - a beer and a scotch. “Both of those for you?” 

“Yep. What? Now only men can be alcoholics?” 

Bela felt the effects of the beer evaporating quickly, along with her good mood. She didn’t really want to spoil her first good night in ages and the last thing she wanted right now was to start an argument with Hamish’s aggressively possessive bff. “Ok, sure. Have fun.” 

Bela grabbed her bag and coat and headed towards the door, just as the bell above it chimed. 

She noticed Hamish before he saw her. He was wrapped in a thick coat, buttoned up against the cold, distracted by the phone in his hand. Lilith shoved past her, approaching him quickly. 

“Haim, sorry I didn’t realise - Randall said they were going to be at-”

He looked up to the sound of her voice, in confusion, before his eyes slid over past her shoulder and locked with Bela’s. 

Bela watched in shock as he snarled - actually snarled - at Lilith and then turned and walked straight out of the bar. 

Lilith huffed and slammed her drinks down on the closest table. “Really! Again?”


	9. Chapter 9

Bela was pissed. She’d spent weeks crying over Hamish and he had the audacity to act like she was the problem. Where did that self-entitled jerk get off? He was the one who caused this whole situation, he’d ghosted her and now he couldn’t even stand to be in the same room as her. How was that fair?

At least Randall was right, tonight had helped a little, even if it was just because she was so staggeringly angry with Hamish that she couldn’t focus on feeling sad.

She caught up with him quickly. He’d made it down to the end of the street in the few second head start he’d had, and Bela had to practically run to keep up with his long strides. 

As he rounded a corner into the alley beside the bar she snapped. “Are you seriously going to make me chase you all the way home? I’m not going to leave until you talk to me, Hamish.”

She almost walked into his back as he stopped. 

“Fine.” she heard him mutter as he turned to face her. Illuminated in the blue neon light of the bar sign, Hamish’s face was totally blank.

Bela stared in silence, waiting for him to start. He just stared right back at her. 

“Urgh!” Bela wanted to punch a whole through his stupid, perfect face. “Is this your plan? Just pretend I don’t exist and hope I go away?” He flinched but didn’t say anything. 

“Fine then, just stand there.” If he wasn’t going to talk to her, he could damn well listen to what she had to say, and, thanks to the drinks she’d had with Randall, that was a lot. 

“You can’t keep doing this, Hamish. It’s not fun being someone’s one night stand but whatever, it happens! I get it - you hate me, but you can’t keep avoiding me. We work at the same place Hamish, Randall is my friend. How your acting, it isn’t fair.” 

It was like a damn bursting in Bela’s chest. All of the hurt, anger and frustration came tumbling out. She’d been blaming herself this whole time, thinking there was something wrong with her but now she realised, it wasn’t anything to do with her. 

His face softened as a tear trickled down her cheek. 

“Oh don’t.” She scrubbed at her cheek furiously. “Don’t act like you care - these are angry tears Hamish, I’m so fucking angry with you.” 

She instinctively took a step back as he moved towards her, closing the gap. He cupped her cheek, running his thumb up to wipe away the next tear that fell. As if in a trance, he leaned forward, pressing her body against the alley wall, trapping her with the gentle pressure of his hips. When his other hand found her waist, pulling her flush against him, Bela met his lips with her own. 

At his touch, Bela felt the past three weeks evaporate. He kissed her slowly, breathing deeply as her scent overwhelmed the air around him, filling his lungs, his head, swirling in an intoxicating vortex. His mind was consumed with Bela, the taste of her on his lips, the feel of her pressed against him. It was as if he’d been suffocating for the last three weeks and here she was, oxygen. 

“I could never hate you.” He spoke finally. He took a deep breath and then crashed his lips against hers again. His kisses grew more urgent, more heated, deepening to the point where Bela couldn’t tell where she stopped and he began. 

He moved his arms to her neck, the small of her back, the strip of skin exposed at the base of her sweater. As his grip slipped across her ribcage, Bela groaned against his mouth. She ran her hands from where she’d snaked them around his waist and slid them under the hem of his shirt. It was like her blood was aflame, pumping burning desire through her entire being. 

His lips moved to her ear, nipping at her earlobe, then down to caress her neck, sucking softly at her pulse point, his hands brushed over her chest and he growled lightly. 

Suddenly, Bela felt him tense. 

“Haim?” 

He pulled himself away, abruptly leaving her standing in the cold night air.

“Haim, don’t-”

The look of devastation that Bela wore almost sent him back to her side. He could feel Tundra prowling below the surface, urging him to touch her, to hold her, kiss her - anything to lessen the pain they were both feeling. It was an irresistible pull, binding them together and the only relief was in her arms, but Hamish couldn’t. He didn’t deserve her salvation when he knew what it would do to her, how it could end. How it always ended. 

“I can’t,” his voice shook. “I’m so sorry. I can’t let myself-.”

This time when he walked away, Bela didn’t follow him.


	10. Chapter 10

“Ok, what’s so important?” Hamish drew a hand through his sleep-tousled hair and slipped further down into the couch, almost dislodging the share size bag of cheetos nestled under the crook of his elbow. Randall, Lilith and Jack watched as he chased a stray orange puff across his chest and then gave up as it lodged itself in the gap between the cushions. 

“Uh-” Lillith faltered. Usually she’d have a witty retort on the tip of her tongue but seeing Hamish lying listlessly in the living room knocked any attempt at snark or sarcasm out of her mind. She looked at Jack and Randall, both seated in the armchairs facing the sofa, her eyes silently pleading for their help. 

Randall sighed, leaning forward in his chair. “We need to talk about…. This.” He waved an arm towards Hamish, gesturing in his general direction. 

Hamish frowned. “What?” 

“Dude, you’ve been really down lately. We’re concerned.” 

Hamish laughed mirthlessly. “I’m fine.” He focused his attention back on the bag of snacks. “Hey, did one of you eat some of my cheetos? I swear there were more this morning.”

Jack pointed towards the floor beneath the couch where dayglow dust coated the wooden panels. “You dropped them when you fell asleep.” 

“Ah.” Hamish shrugged his shoulders. 

Lilith exchanged a concerned glance with Randall. Hamish had been in a nosedive since he’d spent the night with Bela. At first he’d been moody and stressed, but recently things had taken a turn for the worse. 

“Haim,” Randall tried again. “You’ve been lying in that spot for two days.” 

“It’s comfortable.” Hamish replied. 

“You haven’t been to your apartment since Bela was there.” 

Hamish winced as Randall said her name. He raised his chin, staring at his friend. “The Den’s closer to campus.” 

“You’re day drinking.”

“Since when is that a bad thing?” 

“You’re wearing sweatpants and a t-shirt.” 

“Laundry day.” 

Lilith slammed her hand down on the table between them. “You’re fucking depressed.” She growled. Her voice softened as she took in the surprise on Hamish’s face. “We’re trying to help you. We care, Haim.” 

He stiffened almost imperceptibly. His eyes glassed over as he looked around the room, avoiding their faces. “You shouldn’t. People who care about me - who I care about - they get hurt.” 

“Look,” Jack said, his voice low. “What happened with Cassie, it wasn’t your fault. We can help you keep Bela safe.”

Hamish shot up in his seat, sending cheetos cascading across the floor and across his lap. He didn’t seem to notice. “No, I can’t - she can’t be part of this, please-” 

“Ok,” Randall held up his hands, his eyes wide as he took in Hamish’s distress. “It’s ok.” He exhaled slowly, watching as Hamish’s shoulders relaxed a little. 

The three wolves looked at their leader. An awkward pause fell between the group. 

“Listen,” Randall chose his next words carefully. “We know you’ve been tracking Bels, Hamish.” 

Hamish’s eyes widened. He momentarily considered denying it and then quickly discarded the idea. “How?”

“I followed you” Lillith raised her hand as if answering a question in class. She shrugged when Hamish glared daggers at her. 

“That’s not-” Hamish hesitated. Looking around the room he could tell that he didn’t have the moral high ground in this situation. “- I was just trying to make sure she was ok. I thought if I followed her when she went out at night I wouldn’t feel so…” He trailed off. 

“And... has that been working?” Randall asked. 

Hamish shook his head, his face sombre. 

“Ok.” Randall breathed. He clapped his hands together, startling everyone in the room. They needed to come up with a game plan fast, before Hamish totally lost the plot or Vera noticed that their fearless leader had been MIA for weeks and decided to erase all of their memories. 

“Right. Bela is leaving for summer break at the end of the week. She’ll be in LA, nowhere near us or anyone from The Order. You need to make a decision. Either you declare your undying love, or you let her go. For real this time.”

Hamish stared at Randall. His face wrinkled as he tried desperately to think of a third option. After a moment he nodded, just once. 

Randall’s expression softened. “It’s for the best Haim, for both of you.”

“Yeah,” Jack agreed. “Whatever you choose, we’ll support you.” 

Lilith mutely took a seat next to Hamish, placing her hand on his arm. He gave her hand a grateful squeeze, drawing what little strength he could from his friend. 

He had a decision to make.


End file.
